Dili, 6 May 2010 - IOM in cooperation with the PNTL Police Training Centre delivered a workshop for senior law enforcement officers to raise awareness of trafficking and methods to combat human trafficking in Timor-Leste.

Senior police and migration service officials from Dili Headquarters and all districts, including Dr. Longuinhos Monteiro, PNTL General Commander, Mr. Boavida Ribeiro, Migration Service Director, as well as Chief Superintendents, attended the workshop which covered a range of topics, including definitions of human trafficking, national legal frameworks, international cooperation in investigations and prosecutions, and the law enforcement response to human trafficking.

Timor-Leste has been identified as a destination country for victims of trafficking, and the possibility that it may become a source country cannot be discounted. Victims trafficked to Timor-Leste have originated from Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Peoples' Republic of China and the Philippines, and have been exploited for labour aboard fishing vessels, or in commercial sex work in the capital, Dili. Victims are approached with opportunities to pay off debts or to earn large salaries in Timor-Leste's US dollar economy. Evidence exists that internal trafficking also takes place with potential rural-urban trafficking of women and children for labour or sexual exploitation. Once in a trafficking situation, victims report overwork, physical and sexual abuse, and non-payment or under-payment.

Norberto Celestino, IOM Chief of Mission, states that the workshop 'marks an important step in the fight against trafficking in Timor-Leste. The attendance of senior police officials highlight their determination to eradicate the problem and the key role that law enforcement can play in prosecuting traffickers as well as offering protection to victims who have experienced human rights violations'.

Since 2007, the IOM Counter Trafficking Unit has conducted trainings for stakeholders in the counter-trafficking effort, the media and law enforcement and provided technical support to the Inter Agency Counter Trafficking Working Group. IOM has also completed nation-wide public information campaigns and awareness-raising activities and established four sub district offices to disseminate information on counter trafficking and activities carried out by the government and IOM.

Polisia senior no ofisiais servisu migrasaun husi sede/markas Dili nia no mos husi distritu hotu, inklui Alfonso da Jesus, Komando PNTL, nune'e mos chefe superintendente hotu sei atende treinamentu ne'e ne'ebe sei kobre topiku barak, inklui definisaun ba trafiku umanu, kuadru legal nacional, koperasaun internacional iha area investigasaun no prosekusaun, no mos aplikasaun lei ne'ebe responde ba trafiku umanu.

Timor – Leste sai mos hanesan nasaun destinataria ba vitima trafiku umanu, no mos posivel atu sai nudar nasaun orijin ba trafiku umanu. Vitima hirak ne'ebe hetan trafiku mai Timor – Leste mai husi nasaun orijin hanesan Myanmar, Tailandia, Indonesia, Cina no Filipina ne'ebe hetan eksploitasaun ba servisu peska/buka ikan ou servisu komersial sex iha kapital Dili. Vitima sira hetan aproximasaun oportunidade ba pagamentu tusan ou hetan salariu ne'ebe bot iha Timor – Leste ho ekonomia Dollar Amerikanu. Evidensia ne'ebe existe hatudu katak trafiku internal mos akontese ho area urbana trafiku ba feto no labarik sira ba eksploitasaun servisu ou eksploitasaun seksual. Wainhira iha situasaun trafiku nia laran, reportajem hatudu katak vitima hala'o servisu ne'ebe barak liu, hetan abuzu fisiku no seksual no la hetan pagamentu ou hetan pagamentu ne'ebe minimu.

Norberto Celestino, Chefe Misaun IOM iha Timor – Leste, hato'o katak treinamentu ida ne'e marka pasu importante ida iha luta hasoru trafiku umanu iha Timor – Leste. Atendimentu husi parte ofisiais polisia senior sei sublinha sira nia determinasaun atu ke'e sai problema ne'e no funsaun aplikasaun lei ne'ebe sei halo prosekusaun ba trafikante sira, nune'e mos oferese proteksaun ba vitima sira ne'ebe hetan violasaun ba sira nia direitu ema nian.

Hahu husi tinan 2007, Unidade Kontra Trafiku husi IOM hala'o tiha ona treinamentu lubuk ida ba parseiru hotu iha esforsu kontra trafiku umanu, ba media no autor lei no mos fo suporta teknika ba Grupu Servisu Inter – Ajensia Kontra Trafiku. IOM mos kompleta alargasaun kampanha informasaun publika no aktividade hasa'e konhesementu no mos estabelese eskritoriu iha sub distritu hat atu bele habelar liu tan informasaun kona ba kontra trafiku no mos aktividade ne'ebe hala'o husi governu no IOM.